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If you’re a fan of cookie bars or chocolate lava cake, I’ve got just the treat for you: Molten Lava Bars. A chewy chocolate cookie bar layered with hot fudge and dusted with powdered sugar, this is the easiest dessert for the mega chocolate lover.
Molten Lava Cookie Bar Recipe
This Molten Lava Cookie Bar recipe is dangerously easy to make. Like, I don’t know whether you should be thanking me or cursing my name right now. They’re a chocolate cookie bar that is layered with thick and gooey hot fudge. They taste just as good as a lava cake (maybe even better because, cookies), but they’re so dang easy. You literally just have to mix up cookie dough, press it into a pan, and pour jarred hot fudge on top before adding more cookie dough. And the best part? It only bakes for 17 minutes. I’ve made up my mind – you should definitely be thanking me for this one.
I typically dust with a little powdered sugar, but no one would judge you if you tried a little a la mode situation with some vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients in Molten Lava Bars
Exact quantities and directions can be found below in the recipe card.
- Salted butter – I used salted butter in most of my recipes! You can use unsalted butter and add an extra pinch of salt to the batter as needed.
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Light corn syrup
- Vanilla
- All-purpose flour
- Dutch processed cocoa powder
- Corn starch
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Hot fudge sauce – I used store bought jarred hot fudge, but you could make this from scratch if you really wanted to!
- Powdered sugar – You will just need a little to dust on top.
How to Make Cookie Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light in color and fluffy in texture. You can also use an electric hand mixer, if you’d like.
- To the butter + sugars, add in the eggs, corn syrup and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Next, add the flour, cocoa, corn starch, baking soda and salt. Mix until your chocolate cookie dough forms. The dough will be soft.
- Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Pour and spread the hot fudge sauce on top of the cookie dough.
- Crumble the remaining cookie dough onto the top of the hot fudge layer.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 17-20 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before sprinkling with powdered sugar. Cut and enjoy!
How to Store Chocolate Cookie Bars
Allow the Molten Lava Bars to cool completely and place in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 3-5 days. Enjoy!
Can you freeze Molten Lava Bars?
Yes! You totally can. Let the bars cool, cut into servings and place in a zip top bag. Place the bag in the freezer and use within 3 months.
Recipes for Chocolate Lovers
Molten Lava Bar
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (167g) salted butter
- 3/4 cup (185g) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (58g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp light corn syrup
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla
- 2 cups (304g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (60g) dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1/2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 11.75 oz jar hot fudge sauce
- powdered sugar, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light in color and fluffy in texture. You can also use an electric hand mixer, if you’d like.3/4 cup (167g) salted butter, 3/4 cup (185g) brown sugar, 1/4 cup (58g) granulated sugar
- To the butter + sugars, add in the eggs, corn syrup and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined.2 eggs, 1 tbsp light corn syrup, 1/2 tbsp vanilla
- Next, add the flour, cocoa, corn starch, baking soda and salt. Mix until your chocolate cookie dough forms. The dough will be soft.2 cups (304g) all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup (60g) dutch processed cocoa powder, 1/2 tbsp corn starch, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Pour and spread the hot fudge sauce on top of the cookie dough.11.75 oz jar hot fudge sauce
- Crumble the remaining cookie dough onto the top of the hot fudge layer.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 17-20 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before sprinkling with powdered sugar. Cut and enjoy!powdered sugar, for topping
What kind of hot fudge sauce is everyone buying?
If I wanted to do caramel would I use the sauce or actual caramels?
I would do a homemade caramel – something like is found in these caramel brownies: https://cookiesfordays.com/caramel-brownies/
Im trying this with homemade caramel in the middle!!
That sounds amazing! Please report back.
Do you think I could do these with Biscoff cookie butter?
Yes, that should work great!
Instead of hot fudge sauce do you think I could I use Biscoff cookie butter?
yes, totally!